Rolled metal screen frame



March 26, 1968 G. WHITENER ROLLED METAL SCREEN FRAME Filed March 9, 1965.50 IIIIIIIIII,

5 R 3 M a 6, M W Z 4 A )7 7 V z. Z w- 6 a Y .1, f M, 2 B a 4 a w s mw 2w v United States Patent 3,374,597 ROLLED METAL SCREEN FRAME Gary L.Whitener, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to Universal Molding Company,Lynwood, Calif., 21 corporation of California Filed Mar. 9, 1965, Ser.No. 438,237 1 Claim. (Cl. 52-738) This invention relates to a screenframe and more particularly to one which is formed of sheet metal in arolling operation.

In rolling frame sections for window and door screens and the like fromsheet metal, and preferably aluminum, it is customary to form a splinegroove adapted to receive an edge of the screen fabric and a deformablespline of a suitable material such as a weatherproof plastic. The framegenerally has a main body portion of tubular shape, preferablyrectangular in cross section, and an integral spline groove formed byrolling one longitudinal edge of the metal stock over the oppositelongitudinal edge and clamping the rolled joint of said edges of stockby what is termed as stitching. This comprises the provision of spacedindentations longitudinally of the exterior surface of the spline grooveto lock the rolled over edge portion of the metal stock to the oppositeedge portion over which it is rolled. While the stitching or spacedindentations are not extremely large, they can readily be seen.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rolled screenframe section from which screens can be assembled in which theobjectionable appearance of the line of stitching or spaced indentationshas substituted therefor a continuous groove to lock the rolled overedge of the stock and the opposite edge over which it is rolled, notonly to provide a continuous locking structure but to greatly enhancethe ornamental appearance of the screen frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby thecontinuous groove which locks the rolled over edge of the stock is usedin combination with knurling to prevent the locked edges of the stockfrom relative movement longitudinally of the frame section.

The above and other objects of the invention will more fully appear fromthe following description in connection with the accompanying drawing,in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective detail of a corner of a screen frame embodyingthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 on anenlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the screen frame, and a more or lessdiagrammatic indication of the rollers used to produce the lockingstructure of the invention.

The screen frame includes a body 4 preferably of generally rectangularshape. The body is formed from a longitudinal strip of metal whose edgeportions project from the body and are rolled to provide a spline groove6. One edge portion extends laterally as at 8, and thence outwardly asat 10, and its more extreme edge portion 12 is rolled over the otheredge 14. The first mentioned rolled edge portion 12 terminates at 16above the bottom 18 of the spline groove 6, and said edge 16 provides anabutment for more securely retaining the screen fabric 20, and adeformable plastic or other suitable screen fabric retaining spline 22.

In order to securely lock or clamp the rolled over portion 12 of thefirst mentioned edge to the other edge portion 14, I provide asubstantially continuous groove 24 which is pressed into the firstmentioned flange portion as by a groove forming roller 26 and a back-uproller 28. The stock is previously knurled as at 29 so that when thecontinuous groove 24 is formed by pressure of roller 26 toward roller28, the knurled portion 29 will bite into 1 3,374,597 Patented Mar. 26,1968 the adjacent metal surface to prevent relative longitudinalmovement of the rolled over portion 12 and the other edge portion 14.The knurling 29 forms a continuous interlock because of the continuousgroove 24, as distinguished from the interlocking of only approximately50% where knurling is used in combination with conventional stitching,In prior practice the roller 26 would have spaced teeth forming spacedidentations in place of the groove 24. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, thisprovides a secure lock of the flange portions 12 and 14 in a planeextending through the flange portions 10 and 12 of the first mentionedflange and that portion of the other flange 14 over which the firstmentioned flange is rolled.

The outer edge face 30 of the screen frame section is concavetransversely as shown in the drawing providing a convex inner face whichis adapted to frictionally engage a flange 34 on a corner lockingelement 32 which is formed on a angle so that it will have its legspositioned in adjacent end and side portions of the frame sections 4. Itwill be seen in FIG. 2 that the flange 34 of the locking member 32 hasits outer edge also firmly seated in the corner provided by the-innerside of the frame face 30 and the inner side of the adjacent frame face36.

Not only does the continuous locking groove 24 provide more securelocking of the rolled flange edges of the first mentioned flangeportions 10 and 12 relative to the other flange portion 14 than doesintermittent indentations or stitching, but it greatly improves theappearance of the finished screen frame section, since it eliminates theobjectionable appearance of the row of indentations produced bystitching.

It will of course be understood that various changes can be made in theform, detail, arrangement and proportions of the various parts, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a metal screen frame section or the like, a rolled tubular bodyhaving a smooth external surface, said body having laterally and thenceupwardly extending flanges whose edges terminate in laterally spacedrelation to said body to define a spline groove, one flange edgecomprising an outer edge portion rolled over the other edge, andterminating in said outer edge portion above the bottom of the splinegroove to provide a spline retaining shoulder and a continuous lockinggroove rolled longitudinally into said first mentioned flange exteriorlyof the spline groove and upwardly from the bottom of the spline grooverelative to said shoulder and inwardly from said other edge to clamp therolled over flange edge thereof to said other flange, said face of oneflange edge in contact with a face of the other flange edge beingknurled along the continuous locking portion provided by said continuouslocking groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 836,475 11/1906 Watson -394953,680 4/1910 Baker 160-394 1,929,692 10/1933 Johnson 52-738 2,624,4281/1953 Mason 160-395 2,784,782 3/1957 Young 160-395 2,978,022 4/1961Winnan 160-394 3,009,516 11/1961 Albee 160-395 3,187,801 6/1965 Saling160-392 425,002 4/ 1890 Sagendorph 52-528 3,222,841 12/1965 Lipof 52-63X FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. STENZAL, G. W. HORNADAY,

Assistant Examiners.

1. IN A METAL SCREEN FRAME SECTION OR THE LIKE, A ROLLED TUBULAR BODYHAVING A SMOOTH EXTERNAL SURFACE, SAID BODY HAVING LATERALLY AND THENCEUPWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES WHOSE EDGES TERMINATE IN LATERALLY SPACEDRELATION TO SAID BODY TO DEFINE A SPLINE GROOVE, ONE FLANGE EDGECOMPRISIN AN OUTER EDGE PORTION ROLLED OVER THE OTHER EDGE, ANDTERMINATING IN SAID OUTER EDGE PORTION ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE SPLINEGROOVE TO PROVIDE A SPLINE RETAINING SHOULDER AND A CONTINUOUS LOCKINGGROOVE ROLLED LONGITUDINALLY INTO SAID FORST MENTIONED FLANGE EXTERIORLYOF THE SPLINE GROOVE AND UPWARDLY FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SPLINE GROOVERELATIVE TO SAID SHOULDER AND INWARDLY FROM SAID OTHER EDGE TO CLAMP THEROLLED OVER FLANGE EDGE THEREOF TO SAID OTHER FLANGE, SAID FACE OF ONEFLANGE EDGE IN CONTACT WITH A FACE OF THE OTHER FLANGE EDGE BEINGKNURLED ALONG THE CONTINUOUS LOCKING PORTION PROVIDED BY SAID CONTINUOUSLOCKING GROOVE.